New Boston Globe Op-Ed!

And one correction re: yesterday's newsletter ...

Author

Sandy Allen
August 03, 2025

Welcome to What’s Helping Today, a newsletter about the everyday work of staying alive on earth, written by author and journalist Sandy Ernest Allen.

Hi again all!

Regarding the Brown University bullshit, I have a new op-ed out, published by The Boston Globe (!):

Brown University’s ‘deal’ with the Trump administration betrays trans students for federal research funding - The Boston Globe

While nearly 40 percent of Brown students do not identify as straight, and in an era when transgender people already face disproportionate discrimination, the university has chosen to prioritize money over its own students and alumni, writes one member of the Class of 2009.

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/04/metro/brown-university-trans-students-sacrificed

I hope you’ll read it and consider sharing it …

To everyone but to fellow Brown alumni most of all: I encourage you to not turn away from this story. I encourage you to perhaps read up more about what’s gone on here — and to get upset. People with Brown affiliations (especially alumni, given we’ve little to lose) … I encourage you to speak up, on behalf of trans people and our rights. Consider sharing my latest Globe piece (or my Assigned Media essay) with your social networks. Please consider: Calling and/or writing the school’s president and administration.

Just write or speak from your heart. Say this is unacceptable to you and why.

Let’s all make some noise — please.

Wanted to quickly correct something … There was typo, a wrong link, in the newsletter I sent out yesterday afternoon. Here’s the actual link for my website’s announcements page — where I’ve summarized what I’m looking for regarding this mysterious and exciting trans/queer book reviews project I mentioned. Thanks to the person who caught my error and kindly brought it to my attention (the web version’s been updated). Per another question I received overnight, I also added a few specific numbers to my announcements page (re: pay and estimated word count per review).

(I had inadvertently linked some random post by Alexander Chee, someone I adore. If you’re on Bluesky, I highly suggest you follow him; he’s a wonderful writer and former grad school professor of mine whose books are all great. I especially love Edinburgh.)

Anyway! Sorry if I caused anyone confusion with my incorrect link!! My bad. I am alas human, as I’m often repeating to myself and you all. And these have been a busy and stressful last several days for me, as you can maybe understand …

Thanks again for checking out my new op-ed in The Boston Globe — and thanks again, for sharing it widely, if you’re willing …

p.s. What’s Helping Today: The supportive messages and texts I’ve been getting from my Brown-era friends and classmates, re: my writing in response to all this. I appreciate you all and am sending love. 💕 

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